In December of 2007, several of us were standing in the hallways between classes at Mason County HS. It was finals week, just a few days before Christmas break was suppose to start. The weather was miserable, cold & windy. While standing out there, I get a phone call from my good friend, Chuck Smith, who at that time was coaching linebackers at the University of Kentucky. We are freezing, but Chuck is in Florida, enjoying GREAT weather on recruiting.
One of the guys I am standing with in the hallways is our head basketball coach, Chris O'Hearn. He is pretty excited. Our basketball team, lead by future Mr. Basketball, UK Wildcat, & NBA player, Darius Miller, is getting ready to fly to Hawaii to play in a Nike Tournament for the best basketball teams in the country.
I casually make the comment... "Yeah, all the good coaches are going to enjoy some great weather. The bad ones, like me, are stuck in the cold."
The bell rings and I return to class.
My classroom phone immediately rings.
The voice on the other end says, "Coach Buchanan, this is Travis Davis with American Football Monthly. We would like to do a video on the Triple Screen and some other areas of football with you."
I am stunned but really excited.
He continues, "We will fly you to West Palm Beach, Florida, to do the videos."
He continues to talk. My classroom phone is right next to my door. I am on the phone, checking caller ID, and then sticking my head out the door. This has GOT to be a joke. I am looking around, up and down the hallways for the likely culprits... Coach O'Hearn, Steve Appelman, Fred Hester, Chris Ullery, Seth Faulkner, Larry Harris, Kent Moore (probably just hung up the PA from singing Christmas Carols).
I check caller ID and ask again... "Please, now who is this?? Where are you? What is this for?"
I really can't believe it and don't believe it. But, it turned out to be legitimate!
So, one January morning, when the temperature was below 30 degrees and the wind had blown the kids basketball goal up next to the house, I jumped in the car and headed to the airport in Cincinnati.
When I arrived in West Palm Beach, the temperature was in the mid 80's and it was sunny. I was sitting in short sleeves, looking at palm trees.
I met Travis and then spent the next 24 hours working with Rex Lardner, filming the videos. This was insane... I was in West Palm Beach, Florida, doing football videos, in late January!
I enjoyed working with Travis and Rex. Really good guys who are exceptional in the work they do.
For me, the moral to the story is God can do anything He wants to do when He wants to do it. It was a really cool way for God to show me that He loves me. It definitely got my attention.
That event has also made me pay closer attention each day as different things happen. God communicates His love to us often through the day. If we are not paying attention, we may miss that.
Because of my faith in God, nothing seems too little or too big. When God chooses me to serve Him in the smallest, most menial, humble ways and in a way that would be beneath others, I am good with that. I am serving Him and working for Him. When God chooses big ways, extraordinary ways, even situations that I would be in over my head in my own abilities, I trust Him with the outcome.
I don't know what the future holds. But, big or little, I will be content to serve God in whatever way He chooses.
And, if He decides to throw in some palm trees here and there, they will just be a great reminder of the incredible phone call that cold day in December of 2007.
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